I've seen serials that have a next chapter previous chapter link at the top of the page here on substack. I can imagine how annoying it can be to do it manually but it really does help the reader experience and seems worth the extra set up time
Another insightful and practical article thank you Simon! With the BTS work you do behind the paywall, it’s obviously extra time and effort on top of the writing. I often wonder what readers would want to see and be willing to pay for. I figured that paid subscribers would be more willing to pay for news/non fiction. Has fiction been popular for paid subs? At this stage I’ve not found a writer I would pay regularly for, compared to the us$10 I can pay for KU. Thanks
I'm still working on figuring out what readers are interested in paying for. Early days on that front, though I suspect my paid subscribers at the moment are most likely other writers who are using the paid subscription as a way to say 'thanks' for the newsletter, rather than specifically to access extra material. Tip-jar style.
Convincing people to pay for fiction is tough, when there is SO MUCH of it out there, and initiatives such as KU that offer unbeatable value. There are exceptions, of course, and you see some writers here and on Patreon finding immense success.
My approach so far is to make the majority of the content entirely free, and encourage people to say thanks with a paid sub. On the one hand it's possible that I'm undervaluing my work; on the other, I'm reluctant to lock the non-fic writing experience stuff behind a paywall, thereby making it inaccessible to anyone who can't afford it.
At the moment I suppose I'm visualising my 'ideal paying reader' as someone who likes to go behind-the-scenes, who enjoys knowing how a book is put together. They might be a writer themselves. The literary equivalent of a movie enthusiast who watches all the DVD making of extras.
Still evolving my thinking on this, though, as are a lot of writers on Substack, I think.
That’s me. I watch DVD extras, I even watch director and actor commentaries if I really love the movie! Reading extras would take a different kind of attention and commitment I think. If JD Robb offered bonus material I would probably follow, but I’ve literally been reading her series for 20 years. I’m pretty invested. It appeals to me to think of fun, interesting ways to share BTS content, beyond writing the stories. The key is to make it an organic process - Sharing stuff simply doesn’t come naturally to me. The challenge of being that introverted writer. Look forward to sharing more ideas Simon! All the best, MJ
I've been contemplating going serialized on the 'stack with my next novel. I have five published with a small press and one out on submission with an agent at the moment, but I keep thinking about this new option. Very intriguing, and I have tons of questions. A quick search led me to this post. Great info! Thanks.
Really helpful insights! I am going to read this a few times, I think, to get everything out of it. You led me to Scrivener and I am really enjoying it. Appreciate all you bring to the table.
Sure! In the editor, you can add a 'custom button'. You can define the text that appears on the button and set where it points to. I create custom buttons for 'previous' and 'next' chapters. It's a manual process and a bit of a faff (and I often forget to go back and add the 'next chapter' button to the previous chapter), but worth it for helping readers.
I appreciate the ideas offered by your post! My normal space is a university environment, but I have subscribers who want quality economics-based personal finance content. I plan to serialize a personal finance book. teach the subscriber slowly, and judge the results in four months.
From what I've heard, economics can do pretty well on Substack!
Are you going to present it as a serialised book, or like an online course of sorts? I could imagine the latter working, if the newsletter is intended to be a linear learning path.
This was so helpful. Thank you for sharing! I'm thinking of releasing serialised narrative non-fiction so it's good to see how you've been experimenting with it on Substack.
My non-fiction technical writing necessitates the reader to have command of its various appendices as well as being able to go back to some prior parts when his/her reading and discoveries need revision. So unfortunately this serializing suggestion is not applicable here.
Ah, interesting. That's not an angle I've considered much. Serialisation is probably not a model that can be applied to more academic or scientific writing, where you do need the whole thing complete and referenceable from the beginning. There are reference books that are not intended to be read sequentially, with the reader hopping around to whatever they need.
Appreciate reading this. I'm trying to figure out how to best present this serialized fiction I have, and I do like Substack's Sections feature. It's too bad there's no way to enable the "magazine" style within a section though.
I'm so glad I found this post, it's given me ideas for how to structure and post a series I'm working on about my mom's nurses training in the 50's in Liverpool. I know you are talking about serial fiction, and I'm working on non-fiction, but the principles for publishing it on Substack should all be similar. Thanks for this.
I appreciate the ideas offered by your post! My normal space is a university environment, but I have subscribers who want quality economics-based personal finance content. I plan to serialize a personal finance book. teach the subscriber slowly, and judge the results in four months.
Great tips! Thanks got sharing
I've seen serials that have a next chapter previous chapter link at the top of the page here on substack. I can imagine how annoying it can be to do it manually but it really does help the reader experience and seems worth the extra set up time
Another insightful and practical article thank you Simon! With the BTS work you do behind the paywall, it’s obviously extra time and effort on top of the writing. I often wonder what readers would want to see and be willing to pay for. I figured that paid subscribers would be more willing to pay for news/non fiction. Has fiction been popular for paid subs? At this stage I’ve not found a writer I would pay regularly for, compared to the us$10 I can pay for KU. Thanks
I'm still working on figuring out what readers are interested in paying for. Early days on that front, though I suspect my paid subscribers at the moment are most likely other writers who are using the paid subscription as a way to say 'thanks' for the newsletter, rather than specifically to access extra material. Tip-jar style.
Convincing people to pay for fiction is tough, when there is SO MUCH of it out there, and initiatives such as KU that offer unbeatable value. There are exceptions, of course, and you see some writers here and on Patreon finding immense success.
My approach so far is to make the majority of the content entirely free, and encourage people to say thanks with a paid sub. On the one hand it's possible that I'm undervaluing my work; on the other, I'm reluctant to lock the non-fic writing experience stuff behind a paywall, thereby making it inaccessible to anyone who can't afford it.
At the moment I suppose I'm visualising my 'ideal paying reader' as someone who likes to go behind-the-scenes, who enjoys knowing how a book is put together. They might be a writer themselves. The literary equivalent of a movie enthusiast who watches all the DVD making of extras.
Still evolving my thinking on this, though, as are a lot of writers on Substack, I think.
That’s me. I watch DVD extras, I even watch director and actor commentaries if I really love the movie! Reading extras would take a different kind of attention and commitment I think. If JD Robb offered bonus material I would probably follow, but I’ve literally been reading her series for 20 years. I’m pretty invested. It appeals to me to think of fun, interesting ways to share BTS content, beyond writing the stories. The key is to make it an organic process - Sharing stuff simply doesn’t come naturally to me. The challenge of being that introverted writer. Look forward to sharing more ideas Simon! All the best, MJ
I've been contemplating going serialized on the 'stack with my next novel. I have five published with a small press and one out on submission with an agent at the moment, but I keep thinking about this new option. Very intriguing, and I have tons of questions. A quick search led me to this post. Great info! Thanks.
It’s tempting isn’t it? The immediacy compared to other methods is exciting. Though, of course, each publishing method has its own pros and cons.
Really helpful insights! I am going to read this a few times, I think, to get everything out of it. You led me to Scrivener and I am really enjoying it. Appreciate all you bring to the table.
Thanks for this article. I'm just staring to serially publish my novel and this was very helpful.
Ah, great! Hope it all goes well and you have fun with it.
Can you describe how you make the Previous and Next buttons for your chapters?
Sure! In the editor, you can add a 'custom button'. You can define the text that appears on the button and set where it points to. I create custom buttons for 'previous' and 'next' chapters. It's a manual process and a bit of a faff (and I often forget to go back and add the 'next chapter' button to the previous chapter), but worth it for helping readers.
Thanks. I'm struggling to learn. Appreciate your help.
I appreciate the ideas offered by your post! My normal space is a university environment, but I have subscribers who want quality economics-based personal finance content. I plan to serialize a personal finance book. teach the subscriber slowly, and judge the results in four months.
From what I've heard, economics can do pretty well on Substack!
Are you going to present it as a serialised book, or like an online course of sorts? I could imagine the latter working, if the newsletter is intended to be a linear learning path.
God bless you, sir.
This was so helpful. Thank you for sharing! I'm thinking of releasing serialised narrative non-fiction so it's good to see how you've been experimenting with it on Substack.
Excellent! I think most of the principles I use for fiction apply pretty well to narrative non-fic as well.
My non-fiction technical writing necessitates the reader to have command of its various appendices as well as being able to go back to some prior parts when his/her reading and discoveries need revision. So unfortunately this serializing suggestion is not applicable here.
Ah, interesting. That's not an angle I've considered much. Serialisation is probably not a model that can be applied to more academic or scientific writing, where you do need the whole thing complete and referenceable from the beginning. There are reference books that are not intended to be read sequentially, with the reader hopping around to whatever they need.
Appreciate reading this. I'm trying to figure out how to best present this serialized fiction I have, and I do like Substack's Sections feature. It's too bad there's no way to enable the "magazine" style within a section though.
A bit more autonomy per-section would be REALLY useful in general.
Thank you for this breakdown on how to set up a serial story. I plan on adding something to my Substack, though I haven't decided what yet.
Happy to help!
Thank you! Starting off on Substack as an anonymous author of a serial has not been easy. Your guidance has been so helpful.
I'm so glad I found this post, it's given me ideas for how to structure and post a series I'm working on about my mom's nurses training in the 50's in Liverpool. I know you are talking about serial fiction, and I'm working on non-fiction, but the principles for publishing it on Substack should all be similar. Thanks for this.
I appreciate the ideas offered by your post! My normal space is a university environment, but I have subscribers who want quality economics-based personal finance content. I plan to serialize a personal finance book. teach the subscriber slowly, and judge the results in four months.
I choose to add the “previous” and “next” arrows for easier navigation for the readers of my serialised fiction.